Harper Takes a Bite Out of Life
by Lodylodylody
Summary: Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for Harper to keep working for a couple of vampires. Or maybe it was. Set shortly after the "Tasty Bites" episode. NEWS: This tale now has a sequel - "Always and Forever" by SilverTurtle.
1. Chapter 1

Harper continued to work at the Van Heusen's sandwich shop even after the vampire couple had attempted to drain her and Alex's blood. She hadn't been kidding when she'd said that she needed the job. Besides, the Van Heusens were actually nice people to work for. They were eccentric, true...and they were secretly bloodthirsty monsters...but they were very polite and let Harper have frequent breaks during her shift.

Of course, that didn't mean Harper wasn't cautious. The Van Heusens may have promised never to try and bite Harper or Alex again, but seeing as how they were monsters their word probably wasn't 100% reliable.

However in the process of keeping her guard up, Harper kept thinking back to the night when the two vampires had first attempted to make a meal out of Alex and her. Neither girl had realized they were in danger until Alex's family, and the Van Heusen's daughter Juliet, had burst in and saved them. It was sort of scary to think about how close they'd come to losing their lives. Indeed, their rescuers might have been too late if the Van Heusens hadn't argued a bit before trying to take their first bite.

It was the nature of that argument that kept playing on Harper's mind. Both vampires had wanted to bite one girl more than the other. And the strange thing was, the girl they both wanted...was Harper.

_Why did they want me more than Alex?_ she thought one night as she was finishing up her shift. _How could anyone want me more than Alex? _The concept was unbelievable to Harper. Her best friend Alex was amazing. She was cool and witty and really, really pretty...she was everything that Harper wished that she herself could be.

Then again, the Van Heusens probably hadn't been judging them on what kind of people they were. They'd been evaluating Harper and Alex and how their blood would taste.

_But what makes me so tasty?_ Harper wondered. She giggled quietly to herself after having that thought. _I'm tasty. Tasty and delicious. _Her giggling continued.

"What's so funny Harper?" Cindy Van Heusen asked.

Harper let out a yelp and jumped. She hadn't heard her boss come up behind her, which was to be expected. Vampires could move quite silently when they wanted to.

"Calm down dear," Cindy said with a smile that managed to appear pleasant in spite of her fangs. "I didn't mean to scare you. Although it is nice to know I haven't lost my touch. Did you know that I was voted scariest vampire in Europe for three years in a row?" Her expression filled with pride for a moment but soon turned sour. "Then that glory hound Lestat started to get so much press. Honestly, I could be scarier than him any day of the week!"

"I'm sure you could," Harper said, hoping to cheer the vampire up. She didn't feel particularly safe around Cindy or her husband when they were in bad moods.

Cindy smiled again and patted Harper on the head in an affectionate manner. "You're such a sweet girl." She sighed. "I wish I'd been able to eat you. No offense."

"Um...none taken." the teen replied. Although the thought was frightening, she knew that Cindy had meant the words as a compliment. "You know, there's been something I've wanted to ask you."

"Go ahead," Cindy said as she went about her business, checking each table in the currently empty restaurant to see that the napkin dispensers were full.

"Okay, it's about the night you and your husband almost did...um...eat Alex and me."

Cindy stopped her work and looked over to Harper. She had a feeling this conversation might prove interesting. "Please, feel free to ask whatever you like. We vampires rarely get to discuss such things with mortals."

"Well, you might think this is silly, but...why did you want to drink my blood more than Alex's?"

"Ah, that's what's on your mind," the vampire responded. She could see the curiosity in the young mortal's eyes and realized that this conversation was going to be very interesting indeed. And, if she played her cards right, quite satisfying as well. "I don't think that's a silly question at all." She sat down at one of the tables and motioned for the young woman to join her.

Harper started to move towards the seat, but then glanced at the clock on the wall behind Cindy. "One second," she said, and then went to the time clock to punch out.

"You're such a good employee," Cindy said as Harper finally joined her. "So responsible."

"I try," she replied, smiling at the praise.

Once Harper was comfortable, Cindy began to explain how vampires used their supernaturally acute senses to determine how mortals would taste.

"And you could tell that I'd taste better than Alex?"

"To me, yes," Cindy answered. "And to my husband, Alucard as well. But he and I have always had similar tastes. I'm sure there are some vampires that would prefer Alex. We all have our own likes and dislikes after all."

"That makes sense," Harper said.

Cindy leaned forward and gave the girl a conspiratorial grin. "Do you want to know why we find you so appealing?"

Harper's eyes widened and she couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice as she answered. "Yeah. I really would."

"You're so full of life," Cindy answered. "So filled with joy and sweetness." Her voice lowered. "And passion."

"Passion?" Harper repeated, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Me?"

"Oh, don't pretend that it's not true," Cindy said with a laugh. She reached across the table and brushed her hand slowly against the girl's cheek. "Everything you do, you do with all your heart. I can sense that." She paused and inhaled deeply, not because she needed to breathe, but simply to take in Harper's scent. "You have no idea how intoxicating you are."

"I'm...intoxicating?" Harper could barely believe what she was hearing. But Cindy was so convincing...so sincere. Harper felt her heart pounding in her chest.

"You're amazing," the vampire said. "Such a lovely young thing."

Harper laughed nervously and shook her head. "I'm not lovely."

"Don't be foolish dear," Cindy replied. "You're beautiful."

"I am?"

Cindy moved with superhuman speed from her chair. In less than the blink of an eye, she was standing behind Harper's chair, her hands massaging the girl's shoulders.

"Very beautiful," she said. "What a stunning vampire you'd make."

Harper's heart was still pounding, and she felt herself start to tremble all over. Oddly enough, it wasn't entirely due to fear. Nonetheless, she did realize just how much danger she was in.

"You promised not to bite me," she said. "You and your husband both promised."

"We did," Cindy agreed. "And we're not dishonest." She continued rubbing Harper's shoulders, leaning down to whisper in the girl's ear. "However, I'm not above exploiting loopholes. For example...if you asked me to bite you, I'd be happy to oblige."

"I'm...I'm not going to ask you to bite me," Harper said unsteadily.

"Why not?" Cindy asked. "Why wouldn't you want to be a vampire? You could leave your old life behind."

"I like my life," Harper protested.

"Do you?" Cindy moved her hands down from the girl's shoulders, and cupped Harper's breasts. "I've heard you talking with Juliet, Alex and others. Your home life is unhappy. Your parents are distant and quarrelsome. Most of your classmates look at you as some sort of outcast. Really, the only people you have in your life are Alex Russo and her family."

"They're all I need!" Harper countered with more than a little anger in her tone. Cindy's words had struck a little too close to home.

"That may well be true," Cindy replied. "But they're wizards. Their world is a world of magic and supernatural beings. Don't you think you'd be even closer to them if you were a supernatural being yourself?"

Harper found herself too confused to argue. Cindy's logic seemed reasonable. And it was hard to concentrate with the vampire's hands rubbing her breasts. Why did that feel so good? Harper liked guys.

But she also liked what Cindy's hands were doing. No question.

"But...if I'm a vampire, I'll be evil...like you." She paused. "No offense."

"None taken," Cindy purred into Harper's ear. "Juliet is a vampire and she's not evil. She still has a soul. You could be the same."

"I...could?" Harper swallowed the lump in her throat. What she was considering was insane...and forever. But part of her already knew how this was going to end. That knowledge excited her in ways that she couldn't even put into words.

"Normally transforming a mortal into a vampire while allowing them to keep their soul is a tricky proposition," Cindy explained. "But with a soul as bright and strong as yours...it wouldn't be hard at all."

Harper turned her head slightly so that she could see Cindy's eyes. The vampire was looking at her hungrily. It was frightening.

It was thrilling.

"The choice is yours, dear," Cindy said. "Entirely yours."

Harper was shaking all over. But when she finally found her voice, it came out as a shout.

"DO IT!"

An instant later, Cindy's fangs were in her throat. Harper didn't feel even a moment of pain. There were too many other feelings coursing through her all at once.

"Oh God," she gasped. "This is really happening!"

Then she just stared up at the ceiling, in a state of near-ecstasy, as her life was drained away.

* * *

**To be continued...**

_**author's note: **__There's part one of my first ever __**Wizards of Waverly Place **__story. It's only going to be a three-parter, and it is going to different than any of my previous stories. But I love vampires, I love Selena Gomez and I love Jennifer Stone...so, I just have to do this story. Hope you don't hate it. But whether you do or don't - please review. _


	2. Chapter 2

When Harper regained consciousness she opened her eyes to a world that was much more intense than anything she'd ever known before.

The colors were brighter. It was like everything was coming in clearer and sharper than ever before.

"Welcome back dear," Cindy Van Heusen's voice called out. Harper recognized it as Cindy's voice, in spite of the fact that it sounded different from what she was used to. The tone was much more crisp and musical. But it wasn't that the voice had changed, it was Harper's hearing.

"How long was I out?" the girl asked as she sat up, slowly adjusting to her new vampire senses.

"Barely an hour," Cindy answered. "The amount of time it takes to rise varies for each person. I was worried you might be one of the longer ones. If you'd been out for days I'd have had to make up a story to cover your absence."

"Do I still have my soul?" Harper asked.

"Do you feel evil?" Cindy responded.

Harper reflected a moment. "No. I feel great!" A huge smile spread across her face. "I've never felt like this in my life. It's incredible!"

Cindy had to laugh at the youngster's enthusiasm. "It is, isn't it? It's such a thrill...your first few days of unlife. But there are some things you'll need to know."

The elder vampire gave Harper a crash course in using her new abilities. It didn't take long, as a vampire's abilities operated on instinct. Harper was quickly able to use her vampire speed like it was second nature. The ability to put people into a trance was a little trickier, but she soon got the hang of it.

And turning into a bat...that was just awesome.

Harper enjoyed the shape-shifting abilities a great deal. And the flying just made it that much better. She found that she could maneuver more easily in the air when she did the complete transformation to bat-form, but she enjoyed it more when she stayed mostly human and just changed her arms into giant batwings. That way she could feel the wind rush through her hair as she flew.

All in all, it only took Cindy about forty minutes to teach Harper all she needed to know.

"This is so great!" the young vampire exclaimed. "I feel like I can do anything."

"And what are you going to do first?" Cindy asked.

Harper stopped and considered her options. "I've got to go tell Alex!" She started to leave, but then turned back to Cindy. "Wait...the Russos are probably going to be mad when they find out you made me a vampire."

"Probably," the elder female agreed. "But just tell them that it was your choice, and that you still have your soul. I imagine they'll still be upset with me, but they will accept your new...condition." She smiled. "You mean a great deal to them. Anyone who's seen you with them can tell as much."

Harper beamed back. "They mean a lot to me too."

"Then go to them," Cindy said. "And thank you for your blood, dear. You were beyond delicious."

Harper giggled and then gave Cindy a hug before turning and flying away.

After she was gone, Cindy sensed a familiar presence behind her. "How long have you been there, Alucard?" she asked.

"Not long," her husband answered in an annoyed tone. "Just long enough to see that you've broken our word and made a meal out of young Harper." His tone turned petulant. "And you didn't let me have a taste!"

"I'm sorry dear, but you weren't here earlier, and I had to take advantage of the situation when it came up," she explained.

"You know we'll have to move now," Alucard said. "The Russos may accept Harper, but they'll not forgive you for turning her."

Cindy nodded. "I know."

"Juliet will be very upset," the male vampire continued. "She likes it here. And she's quite smitten with that Justin boy."

Cindy looked into her husband's eyes. "I think Juliet should stay."

"What?!"

Cindy spoke soothingly to her excitable husband. "You know Juliet's old enough to be on her own now. And the truth is, it's becoming difficult for us to stay together. Our daughter has a soul and a conscience...and we don't."

Alucard nodded. "She could stay here. And we could go back to feeding and killing whenever we liked."

"It will be glorious," Cindy said. "And we can still keep in touch with her. Phone calls, e-mails...mortals are always coming up with new ways to communicate."

"True, true." Alucard stood up straighter as an expression of resolve came to his face. "Very well. We shall leave tonight."

"We'll write Juliet a note," Cindy added. "And then, on the way out of town, we'll grab some unsuspecting innocent for you to feast upon."

Alucard's eyes lit up. "We will?"

"I got to eat Harper," Cindy said with a grin. "It's only fair that you get some blood tonight too."

"I am so glad that you're my wife," Alucard said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

Harper had just landed on the Russo family's balcony and she had to take a moment to compose herself. There were so many wonderful scents that were overwhelming her new vampire senses. The Russo home was filled with aromas: food, magic, perfume, art supplies...to say nothing of the Russo family members themselves. But while it was a lot to process, it was also very comforting to Harper. She knew this place, and the people who lived here, as well as she knew herself.

This was where she belonged.

She could identify each Russo's scent without even seeing them. Though they were all made up of many different elements, Harper could sum up each of them with a single word. Jerry was solid. Theresa was spicy. Max was...well, he was just plain weird...but not in a bad way.

Justin was amazing.

She wasn't surprised by this. After all, Harper had been crushing on Justin for years. She already knew he was amazing. No surprises there.

The surprise was Alex's scent.

It was irresistible.

Magic and salt and lip gloss and candy. This was Alex. Sharp but soft. Dark but radiant.

Alex.

Harper found herself gliding silently to her best friend's room. She wasn't thinking about any of the other Russos at this moment. She wasn't thinking about Justin. The only thing on her mind was the girl on the other side of the door.

"Alex," she called out, not too loudly. A moment later, the door opened.

"Harper, what are you..." Alex began, but then stopped when she got a look at her friend. "What happened to you?" she gasped. "You look amazing."

"I do?" the redhead asked in surprise. She had no idea that being a vampire had affected her appearance.

"You bet you do," Alex said as she took her friend's arm and pulled her into the room. "When did you get this makeover? You're gorgeous!"

"Thanks Alex," Harper said feeling slightly embarrassed. She was also curious. "Um...what would you say is the biggest change?"

"Where do I begin?" the wizard replied. "Your hair is fantastic. It's almost a different shade of red...brighter than before. And your eyes, geez. What kind of contacts are those? Are they glow in the dark? They have to be...they're glowing. That is so cool."

As Alex continued with the compliments, Harper couldn't help but blush. She loved the praise, especially since it was coming from Alex. Besides being her best friend, Alex was also one of the prettiest girls in school. And with her newly enhanced vampire vision, Harper was appreciating her friend's beauty more than she ever had before.

"And your lips are so red," Alex continued, still assessing Harper's appearance. "What kind of lipstick is that? And did you get your teeth whitened too? They're gleaming. Especially your fangs. And..." The wizard suddenly stopped as she realized her friend had fangs. She looked at Harper warily. "Who gave you this makeover?"

"Cindy Van Heusen," she answered with a nervous smile.

"Oh no," Alex gasped. "Ohmigod, no! Harper, did she make you a vampire?"

Harper hated to see how upset her friend was. "She did. But it's okay. I still have my soul. Don't freak out...please."

Alex's face was frozen in a horrified expression for a while, then her lips curled in anger. Her magic wand appeared in her hand as the sound of thunder shook the entire building.

"I'M GOING TO KILL THAT UNDEAD BITCH!" Alex screamed.

Harper was taken aback. She'd never seen her friend like this before. Before she could say or do anything, the rest of the Russo family crowded into Alex's room. Alex's parents were both asking what was wrong.

"The Van Heusens turned Harper into a vampire!" Alex yelled. Tears were streaming down her face. Her wand flashed and the building shook with more thunder.

Jerry and Theresa both looked to Harper with stricken expressions, as did Justin. Max, on the other hand was merely confused. But when the thunder sounded again, Jerry quickly turned his attention back to Alex.

"Sweetie," he said softly. "I understand you're upset. We all are. But I need you to do something for me now. I need you to put the wand down."

"No!" Alex shouted. "I'm going to kill the Van Heusens!" This time the thunder blew out the windows of Alex's room. Shattered glass flew everywhere as angry winds howled into the room.

"Alex, please!" Harper pleaded. "I'm alright! It's still me! Please put the wand down!"

The distraught wizard turned to her friend. "I should never have let you work there," she sobbed. "I should never have let you go near those vampires alone. I should have been with you. I could have saved you."

Harper gently took hold of Alex's arms. "No, it's alright. I don't need saving. I like being a vampire."

Still crying, Alex looked into her friend's eyes. "You do? You're really okay?"

As Harper nodded, Jerry whispered to Justin. "Son, I want you to be careful, but go over there and take your sister's wand out of her hand. Can you do that?"

His own wand already in hand, Justin kept a number of protective spells in mind as he moved next to his sister. Slowly he reached over and took her wand from her hand. She didn't try to resist, and once the wand was out of her grasp, the thunderclouds outside vanished. At the same time, Alex collapsed against Harper.

Theresa went over and put her arms around her daughter, and Harper as well. "Come on baby," she said to her still sobbing daughter. "Let's go downstairs."

"Right," Jerry added. "Everyone downstairs. We'll work this out." As the others began to file out of the room, Jerry took Justin aside. "Can you take care of the glass?"

"Already on it, Dad," the eldest Russo sibling replied. With one hastily improvised spell, he made all the broken glass vanish. A moment later with a few more words, he replaced the destroyed windows with new ones.

"Good job son," Jerry said.

Normally Justin was happy to have his magic complimented, but now his mind was on other matters. "What are we going to do?" he asked. "Harper's a vampire."

"We'll figure something out," Jerry said, trying to convince himself as much as his son. "It's going to be fine. Somehow."

* * *

**To be continued...**

_**author's note: **__One more chapter to go. Have to admit that this installment took me by surprise as I was writing it. I hadn't anticipated Alex having such an extreme reaction when she found out about Harper, but it really felt right as it started heading in that direction. Please review. _


	3. Chapter 3

Down in the Russo's living room, things were beginning to calm down. Alex was no longer crying though her expression was still distraught. Theresa was hovering around her daughter, though she did pause every now and then to cast concerned looks in Harper's direction.

Just as Jerry was about to speak to his assembled family, a frantic knocking on the front door drew everyone's attention. Justin was the closest to the door so he answered it. It was his girlfriend, Juliet.

"Is everyone alright?" the blonde vampire asked as she rushed into the room. It only took her a second to discern that the mood was heavy. "You all know that Harper's a vampire, right?"

"Thanks to your mother," Alex spat out angrily.

"I'm not happy about it either," Juliet replied. "I got home and found a note from my parents. They've taken off. They explained what happened with Harper."

"They took off?" Justin asked. "Wait, you mean they left without you?"

When Juliet nodded, Theresa gasped. "Your parents abandoned you? And just left a note behind?"

"What can I say?" Juliet responded. "They're evil. They don't have a soul, like I do. Or like Harper does." She turned to the redhead. "I'm so glad you got to keep yours. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "That's what I keep trying to tell everyone. I'm okay with being a vampire. I wish it wasn't upsetting everybody. I want you all to be happy."

"It's just a lot to adjust to," Jerry said.

"I don't think it's so bad," Max spoke up. "Harper's just like Juliet now, and we all like her"

Normally, the youngest Russo child never had anything intelligent to add to a conversation...but this time his words proved very helpful.

"Max is right," Justin said. "If we're all fine with Juliet being a vampire--"

"A vampire with a soul," the blonde corrected.

"A vampire with a soul," Justin continued. "Then there's nothing wrong with Harper being the same." He moved over to the redhead and knelt down in front of her chair to better look into her eyes. "Are you sure you're happy like this?"

Harper was touched by the genuine caring and concern she could see in Justin's expression. "I really am. I think this could be the best thing that ever happened to me."

"How can you say that?" Alex asked.

Harper proceeded to explain herself. It wasn't easy, as the topic was deeply personal. But slowly she was able to tell the Russos about how she had little in her life apart from them. How they were more of a family to her than her own parents.

"And now that I'm not just plain-old Harper anymore, I thought maybe I could fit in better with you all," she concluded. "Because now I'm special. Like you guys."

Alex moved over to her friend and hugged her tightly. "You were always special."

As the two girls held each other, Justin motioned for his parents to come talk with him.

"I could do a spell to make Harper's parents forget about her," he said. "She'd be better off with us anyway."

From what Jerry and Theresa knew of Harper's parents, they couldn't disagree. "You do that," Jerry said. "But before Harper moves in with us, there's something your mother and I need to discuss."

Jerry took his wife into the other room while Justin rejoined Juliet, Harper, and his siblings.

* * *

Sometime later, Alex and Harper were asked to come and speak with Jerry and Theresa. Both the adults had concerned and serious expressions on their faces. First they asked Alex how she was coping with Harper's vampirism.

"I'm starting to deal with it," she answered. "I think it's going to be okay."

The two girls smiled at each other.

Theresa spoke up. "Harper means a lot to you, doesn't she Alex?"

"Well, duh," the girl replied. "She's my best friend."

"And Alex means a lot to you, right Harper?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah," the vampire answered. "Best friends forever."

"You know, that takes on a whole new meaning now that you're a vampire," Alex commented with a smirk. Harper laughed.

"We'd like to talk to you both about what happened earlier...with the thunder," Jerry said.

Alex frowned. "Look I'm sorry about the windows," she said. "But I was really upset."

"You were more than upset honey," Theresa said seriously. "I want you to listen to your father. He just explained it all to me, and it's important that you understand." She glanced over to Harper. "That you both understand."

"What happened upstairs wasn't due to any spells you cast," Jerry told Alex.

"What? But that wasn't natural thunder," Alex replied.

"No, the thunder was definitely caused by you," Jerry explained. "But it wasn't a spell. As a matter of fact, I bet you don't remember casting any spells at all."

Alex's brow furrowed. "No. I don't."

"That's because you didn't. You went..." Jerry paused and took a breath before speaking out the next words. "...Mage-Primal."

"What the heck is that?" Alex asked.

"I've taught you the importance of keeping your emotions in check when casting spells," Jerry said. "Strong emotions can cause a spell to go wrong. But Mage-Primal is an entirely different matter. That's when a wizard's emotions become so strong that they tap directly into the fundamental forces of magic itself. You have no idea how rare, or dangerous, it is for that to happen. When you achieved the Mage-Primal state...well, not to overstate it, but you could have vaporized most of New York."

Harper gasped, while Alex just let her jaw drop.

"You are totally kidding me," Alex finally said.

"I wish I were," her father responded. "If you'd known what you were doing, you could have done anything...made anything happen. Or worse, you could have done things without even realizing it. Only a handful of wizards in all history have ever gone Mage-Primal. And some of the greatest magic-users have tried for centuries to reach that state...and failed."

"Then how did I do it?"

"A wizard has to be in the most extreme emotional state imaginable," Jerry explained.

"Okay, I was super emotional," Alex said. "I was upset about Harper."

"Yes, and that's what we wanted to talk about," Theresa said. "Apparently, only certain kinds of emotions can let a wizard do this Mage-Primal thing. It would take an emotion stronger than friendship to trigger it."

"We think Harper should move in with us now that she's a vampire," Jerry continued. "But if she's going to be living here, we want to avoid any awkwardness. I think it would be best if everything was out in the open from the start."

Harper and Alex were both confused, though Harper was also very happy at the thought of living with the Russos.

"We think you two are in love," Jerry said.

The girls looked at him blankly.

"With each other," he went on.

Their blank stares continued.

"At the very least, we know that you're in love with Harper," he said to Alex. "You couldn't have gone Mage-Primal if you weren't."

Alex's expression stayed blank, but Harper slowly turned to look at her friend. The redhead had many thoughts racing through her mind.

"We want you to know that we're okay with it," Theresa said. "We only want you to be happy Alex. And we love Harper too. So you have our blessings."

Harper turned to the woman with a big smile on her face. "We do? Oh, you guys are so wonderful!"

This finally caused Alex to speak. "Hold it!" she yelled. "Harper and I are not in love!"

"You don't love her?" Jerry asked.

"No, I love her," Alex replied. "But not like you guys are saying. We're friends."

"Are you sure that's true honey?" Theresa asked.

Alex was about to answer when she glanced to Harper. The vampire had a questioning look on her face.

"Look, this is crazy," Alex said. "I have a boyfriend. And Harper's been after Justin for years." She turned to her friend. "You're not in love with me."

"I never thought I was," Harper said. "But when I became a vampire, my senses got all super-charged. And the first time I caught your scent...I was drawn to you way more than I've ever been drawn to anyone else. Way more than even Justin."

Alex's eyes widened. "That doesn't mean you love me. That just means...I...smell nice."

Harper was more confused than ever. She was all but convinced that she loved Alex now. The more she thought about it the more sense it made. But Alex said she didn't feel the same. Harper could have accepted that, she already knew what it was like to not have feelings returned. But then how could Alex have gone Mage-Primal?

"I don't want to be a problem," the redhead finally said. "If Alex isn't in love with me, it's okay. I'm not going to annoy her or anything like I used to do with Justin."

Alex felt some troubling feelings of guilt as she saw the hint of sadness on Harper's face. "Okay, this is crazy," she said. "Stop being sad, Harper. I'm not rejecting you. We're friends. I love you...as a friend."

"But just as a friend?" the vampire asked.

"Yes."

Harper got a bold look in her eye. Being a vampire had done wonders for her self-confidence. "Okay. Prove it."

"Prove it? How?" Alex was confused.

"I want to kiss you."

The young wizard's eyebrows shot upwards. But then she frowned. "Oh come on. That's your great idea? Like I'll kiss you and suddenly my heart will melt and I'll be unable to deny my true feelings? That is so lame."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?" Harper countered with a shrewd look in her eyes.

"Fine, you want to kiss me. Go ahead and--"

Alex never got the chance to finish her sentence, for Harper grabbed her and kissed her passionately. In truth, the redhead wasn't a very experienced kisser, but somehow she knew instinctively just what to do. Perhaps it was her vampiric nature, perhaps it was the power of true love...but whatever the reason, the kiss was breathtaking.

So breathtaking that Jerry and Theresa started to loudly clear their throats, trying to signal to Harper that she was going a bit too far for their comfort.

Finally Harper ended the kiss. Alex said nothing. The young wizard had a stunned expression on her face.

"Now," Harper said. "Tell me how you feel."

Alex blinked, shook her head as if trying to clear away cobwebs from her mind, and then looked Harper in the eyes.

"I am not..." Alex began speaking in a defiant tone, but then started laughing. "Who am I kidding? I'm totally in love with you."

Harper squealed with delight as she wrapped her arms around her best friend and true love.

* * *

And so, the Russo family soon had two vampires living with them, Harper and Juliet. Jerry and Theresa found themselves having to deal with the fact that the girlfriends of their two oldest children were living, and sleeping, under the same roof, but eventually they came up with rules that all parties could agree to.

When Justin went away to college, Juliet went with him. Meanwhile, Harper attended night school classes. She ended up getting her diploma a few months before Alex and the rest of their class graduated.

After thinking about it for a long time, Alex decided on her twentieth birthday to ask Harper to make her a vampire too. They sought the advice of Juliet to make sure that Alex would be able to keep her soul. In the course of their discussions, the point was raised that any wizards who were turned into vampires were technically dead, and therefore were not eligible for the competition that wizard siblings had to undergo to keep their powers. Thus, Alex got to keep her wizard powers forever once she was turned. Six months later, Justin asked Juliet to marry him, and to make him a vampire as well, which resulted in him keeping his powers also.

Amazingly, even though he ended up with no competition from his siblings, Max lost his wizard powers when he was twenty-two. The details of how that happened are long and complicated, involving a llama farm and several kinds of cheeses...but in the end things worked out and Max enjoyed a successful career as a pet therapist.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Many of them...forever.

* * *

**The End.**

_**author's note: **__And there it is. This story took some bizarre detours for me on the way to the end. It's was originally going to be a two-parter, and the intent was for Harper to become a vampire and to get together with Alex, eventually making her one as well. But the way Alex's reaction worked out in chapter two ended up making the story longer and adding more involvement from other characters, as well as me making up the whole 'Mage-Primal' thing. Anyway, I hope it didn't suck. Please review. _


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